More From Our Channels

Harrison Ford is officially set to reprise his celebrated role of Rick Deckard in the sequel to Alcon Entertainment’s Blade Runner and Academy Award nominee Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Incendies) is in negotiations to direct, it was announced by Alcon co-founders and co-CEO’s Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson! The film is scheduled to start principal photography in summer of 2016. Hampton Fancher (co-writer of the original) and Michael Green have written the original screenplay, based on an idea by Fancher and Ridely Scott.

The story takes place several decades after the conclusion of the 1982 original.

“We are honored that Harrison is joining us on this journey with Denis Villeneuve who is a singular talent, as we experienced personally on ‘Prisoners,'” said Johnson and Kosove, “Hampton and Michael, with Ridley Scott, have crafted a uniquely potent and faithful sequel to one of the most universally celebrated films of all time, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with this amazing, creative team.”

Ford will next be seen in The Age of Adaline for Lionsgate before he reprises another iconic sci-fi role, returning as Han Solo in J.J. Abrams’ much-anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Villeneuve’s next, meanwhile, is the crime thriller Sicario, starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benecio Del Toro, for Black Label Media and Lionsgate.

Alcon Entertainment acquired the film, television and ancillary franchise rights to Blade Runner in 2011 from producer Bud Yorkin to produce prequels and sequels to the iconic science-fiction thriller. Yorkin will serve as a producer on the sequel along with Kosove and Johnson. Cynthia Sikes Yorkin will co-produce.